The present invention relates to thickened aqueous compositions, and in particular, to those compositions that can provide a foam.
Foams are defined as dispersions of gas in a liquid and are finding numerous uses in a wide variety of industrial applications. Typically, foamed compositions can be prepared by contacting an aqueous liquid with surfactants. Such compositions have very low viscosities. Such low viscosities lead to poor foam stability and foam strength. In order to increase the viscosity of such compositions, it has become common practice to incorporate thickening amounts of polymeric materials into such compositions. Unfortunately, the viscosities of such compositions can change substantially with variations in temperature; and such compositions are shear degradable, can have short shelf lives, are difficult to handle, and can leave a polymeric film or residue after use in a particular application.
In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, it would be highly desirable to provide a foam fluid composition which can be easily formulated to provide foam compositions having good shear stability, and substantial stability over a range of temperatures.